CHAOS IN ECOLOGY - IS MOTHER-NATURE A STRANGE ATTRACTOR

We review the role of chaos and the study of chaos in ecology. We use sensitive dependence on initial conditions as the best heuristic defin ition of chaos. This definition forms the common theme for our review of approaches for demonstrating the importance of chaos in ecology. We emphasize that this definition of chaos can include the effects of no ise, and that there is no dichotomy between stochasticity and chaos. W e review three classes of approaches for studying chaos in ecology: mo dels, analysis of time series, and experiments. Current ideas from mod elling approaches demonstrate the plausibility of chaos. New approache s for analyzing time series are based on using the presence of a posit ive Lvapunov exponent to indicate sensitive dependence on initial cond itions. The methods can deal with relatively short time series that in clude the effects of noise, with chaotic dynamics appearing in at leas t some cases. Experimental work is just beginning, spurred by modellin g results and the new methods for analyzing times series. We suggest d irections tor further work in each of these approaches.